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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227056">A New Day Has Begun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter'>heyjupiter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cats (2019) - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Science Bros</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:20:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Yeah, Bruce loves animals," Tony said fondly. "I thought he was more of a dog person, though."</i>
</p><p><i>"No, I mean, yeah, he does, but he also loves </i>Cats<i> the musical. He wants to go see the movie."</i></p><p>
  <i>"What? No way. Bruce has taste."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Rhodey shrugged. "This is why he didn't want me to say anything."</i>
</p><p>--</p><p>Tony just wants to give Bruce a great birthday surprise, but some bad intel leads him to make the wrong Jellicle choice for entertainment. Can the day be salvaged, or will Bruce leave him alone in the moonlight?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner Bingo 2019</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A New Day Has Begun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/volunteerfd/gifts">volunteerfd</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic is set in a slight AU where the events of The Avengers happened in 2019. Or I guess where <i>Cats</i> (2019) was <i>Cats</i> (2012). But mainly it's not the kind of story where you should be worrying about the canon timeline.</p><p>This is a birthday gift for volunteerfd! I hope you like it even though you "don't" "like" "<i>Cats</i> (2019)".</p><p>It's also a fill for the "surprise party" square on <a href="https://twentyghosts.tumblr.com/brucebingo">my Bruce Banner bingo card</a>.</p><p>The title is from "Memory." From the musical <i>Cats</i>.</p><p>This fic is about <i>Cats</i> if that hasn't been made clear.</p><p>Thanks to mollyamory for beta reading, even after my warnings regarding the fic's very premise!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Ugh, I can't believe we went to all the trouble of saving the world, when the world is just full of <i>this</i>," Tony said, gesturing at the huge, high-res projection of an ad for the upcoming movie <i>Cats</i>. Rhodey rolled his eyes, and Tony continued, "Seriously, look at that. Those...beings look even more unnatural than the <i>literal aliens</i> who were here like six months ago. It's horrific, I mean it. And from what I gather, it's not even supposed to be a horror movie."</p><p>Rhodey grabbed another slice of pizza and said, "Yeah, I heard you last time you performed this monologue."</p><p>"Sorry, I just can't get over it. I mean, have you ever seen anything so disturbing?"</p><p>After a thoughtful pause, Rhodey said, "You know, Bruce didn't want me to say anything…"</p><p>Tony couldn't help but perk up at the mention of his adorable teammate. "Hmm?"</p><p>Rhodey slowly chewed a bite of pizza. "He thought you'd make fun of him."</p><p>"I make fun of Bruce all the time. What are you talking about?"</p><p>"Well, I guess he's a really big fan of <i>Cats</i>."</p><p>"Yeah, Bruce loves animals," Tony said fondly. "I thought he was more of a dog person, though."</p><p>"No, I mean, yeah, he does, but he also loves <i>Cats</i> the musical. He wants to go see the movie."</p><p>"What? No way. Bruce has taste."</p><p>Rhodey shrugged. "This is why he didn't want me to say anything."</p><p>"Why'd he tell you?"</p><p>"Oh, I overheard him singing along with it in the kitchen. But he told me not to—"</p><p>"—not to tell me, I got it," Tony said. He took a long sip of his scotch and frowned. "Bruce was singing? Is he any good?"</p><p>"Not really, but he didn't sound much worse than the cats he was singing along with. Why are we watching this live, anyway? If you recorded it we could skip commercials."</p><p>"It's Saturday Night <i>Live</i>, Rhodey, that's the point of it." When Tony wasn't out on Saturday nights—and these days he increasingly preferred to stick around Stark Tower rather than going out—he liked the ritual of watching the show as it aired. And complaining about it. That was an important part of the ritual.</p><p>Bruce passed through the common room and Tony said, "Hey, Brucie, come join us!"</p><p>"Oh! Uh, okay." Bruce carefully sat down at the far end of the room's big sectional, leaving a lot of space between him and Tony and Rhodey.</p><p>"There's pizza," Tony offered, and Bruce took a piece before retreating back to his corner. He watched the show quietly, laughing at most of the same things that Tony and Rhodey did. If Bruce didn't laugh, and Tony had thought something was funny, he turned to explain the reference. Bruce wasn't nearly as bad as Cap, but he had some shocking holes in his pop culture knowledge. Spending years on the run in developing countries would do that to a person, apparently, although he did seem to have a deep knowledge of Bollywood movies.</p><p>And yet, somehow Bruce knew <i>Cats</i>? But then, it had originally been a hit in the 80s, hadn't it? Tony remembered those commercials, too--<i>Now and forever at the Winter Garden Theater</i>. It had been inescapable. They'd probably even heard of it in Ohio. </p><p>Tony kept trying to discreetly look at Bruce, who he knew was still working on adjusting to life in New York. Tony had meant what he'd told Bruce back when they first met—he thought Bruce should learn how to strut. Bruce was <i>so</i> smart but he still didn't take potable water for granted. And, apparently, he worried that Tony would make fun of his love of <i>Cats</i>. Which was weird, because Tony teased Bruce all the time and Bruce didn't seem to mind. Teasing was how Tony showed affection, and he'd thought that Bruce had understood that. Bruce definitely didn't mind dishing it back out to Tony on occasion.</p><p>But Bruce had been through a lot. If <i>Cats</i> was his musical comfort food, maybe Tony shouldn't judge. And wasn't Bruce's birthday coming up? He'd have to double-check, but Tony was pretty sure he remembered seeing December in Bruce's SHIELD file. It could be hard to get Bruce to leave the Tower, or even his bedroom, but he'd have to go out for his birthday. Tony would see to that.</p><p>Another commercial for the <i>Cats</i> movie played, and Tony glanced over at Bruce to see his reaction. Bruce was watching with interest; his face displayed no signs of horror at the odd CGI. Tony discreetly checked his phone and confirmed that Bruce's birthday was December 18th, two days before the movie's official release date. He sighed and bought two tickets for an early screening. Tony loved to give gifts, but he wasn't always the best at picking them out. Thanks to Rhodey's tip, at least he'd have Bruce's birthday in the bag.</p><p>When the episode ended, Bruce said, "Good night," and went back to his room. </p><p>"He should hang out with us more," Tony said.</p><p>Rhodey laughed. "He works with you all day, doesn't he? Maybe he needs a break from you."</p><p>"I don't know what you're implying, Rhodey. I'm a delight." </p><p>Rhodey stood up from the couch with a knowing smile. He clapped Tony on the shoulder and said, "Yeah, so why don't you just ask him out already?" Tony scoffed, and Rhodey called "Night, Tones!" over his shoulder as he left the room. </p><p>Tony squeezed a couch cushion to his chest and sighed. Rhodey had a point—he and Bruce <i>did</i> spend a lot of time together. But Tony wanted more. And he thought that Bruce did, too. But Tony was hesitant to act on it.</p><p>It wasn't that Tony was afraid of the Hulk. Tony was afraid of scaring Bruce, of pushing his reserved friend's boundaries too far and making him run off. Or afraid of putting too much pressure on Bruce, on making him think that he <i>had</i> to become romantically involved with Tony to keep staying at Stark Tower, which of course he didn't. It would just be a very nice bonus, if Bruce was in fact interested, the way Tony thought he was. </p><p>But Tony had made a lot of progress over the last few months. Now he just had to figure out the right way to break the ice. But he could do that. He <i>would</i> do that. Unlike his friends, Tony wasn't ready for bed, yet. Instead, he got online and started making some plans.</p><p>Tony passed the next few weeks in eager anticipation of Bruce's birthday. He never once caught his reserved lab partner singing, but he did manage to coax Bruce out for a few lunches and TV nights. Tony wasn't used to slowly building relationships like this; he used to ask someone out for dinner and be done with them by breakfast. But that wasn't how he wanted things to be with Bruce.</p><p>Then, finally, the morning of Bruce's birthday arrived. Tony got up early, by his standards, and stumbled to the kitchen in his pajama pants and T-shirt. He was a little dismayed to find Bruce calmly eating oatmeal in the kitchen, already dressed and ready to start the day. Tony usually stayed up until he physically couldn't any longer and stumbled into the workshop around eleven. He knew that Bruce was always up before him, but he hadn't realized the extent of it.</p><p>"Bruce! I was going to make you a special birthday breakfast!"</p><p>"How'd you know it's my birthday?"</p><p>"Please, I know everything."</p><p>"Hmm. Then you should know that I like oatmeal."</p><p>Tony sighed. "Well, just so you know, when it's <i>my</i> birthday, I want waffles."</p><p>Bruce cracked a small smile. "I'll be sure to make a note of that."</p><p>"Good. And I'll have JARVIS remind you, just in case. But hey, wait here, okay? I'll be right back."</p><p>"I'm not going anywhere. Want me to make you some oatmeal?"</p><p>"What? No, I'm not eighty. No offense."</p><p>Bruce snorted and kept eating his sensible breakfast, while Tony went back to his suite. He got dressed and grabbed a bulky pile of gifts. He staggered back to the kitchen and dropped them off at Bruce's feet.</p><p>Bruce looked down at the stack and then up at Tony with wide eyes. "Tony…"</p><p>"C'mon, open them!" </p><p>"If I don't eat my oatmeal while it's hot, it'll get gluey."</p><p>"You could solve that problem by eating something better for breakfast in the first place," Tony countered. But Bruce kept eating his boring oatmeal while Tony drank his coffee with increasing agitation. Tony felt as impatient as a kid on Christmas morning, even though he wasn't the one receiving the gifts. He knew it was a cliche, but he really did enjoy giving more than getting (which was easy enough to say when he already had everything he wanted, at least in terms of material possessions.) </p><p>Finally, Bruce finished his food and said, "Tony, you really didn't have to get me anything. You've already given me so much…"</p><p>Tony waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, really. Just open them already!"</p><p>Bruce quirked his lips and opened the first package, a top-of-the-line parka in a tasteful forest green. Bruce didn't complain often, but he'd mentioned that he'd gotten accustomed to the heat of India and found fall in New York to be a bit cold. Tony knew it was only going to get worse as winter set in, and he didn't want to give Bruce a reason to run back across the ocean. Bruce smiled and stroked the parka's hood with one finger.</p><p>"It's faux-fur," Tony interjected. "No animals died for that."</p><p>"Thanks, Tony. This is great."</p><p>Tony rocked on his heels and watched as Bruce opened the rest of his gifts—mostly unremarkable, more high-end winter wear and soft sweaters, until he reached the largest box on the bottom of the pile. Curiosity was apparent on Bruce's face as he opened it, revealing a large plush cat.</p><p>"It's squishy!" Tony announced proudly. A personal shopper had picked out the clothes, based on the specifications Tony had provided. But Tony himself had been drawn to the big squishy cat late one night, when Bruce had gone to bed and left an over-caffeinated Tony to take an unattended trip to Duane Reade to fulfill a craving for gummy bears. Somehow, he felt that Bruce could use something soft like that in his life.</p><p>Bruce blinked and gave the cat an experimental squeeze. "So it is. Um, wow, Tony, thanks, this is...really something."</p><p>"I also donated to charity in your name, but that's boring and hard to wrap."</p><p>"That's really nice," Bruce said warmly. "I—thank you, Tony, this is all really...nice."</p><p>"You're very welcome. Anything else you want to do? It's your day."</p><p>Bruce shrugged. "I don't usually do anything for my birthday, this was already more than I expected. Why don't we just keep working on our solar tech project?"</p><p>"Okay, we can do that for a while," Tony agreed. "We have plans tonight, though."</p><p>"Plans?"</p><p>"It's a surprise."</p><p>"I'm not a big fan of surprises…"</p><p>"You'll like this one!"</p><p>Bruce nodded warily. "Okay. Well—I'm going to go put this stuff away, but, uh, I'll meet you in the lab."</p><p>"I'll be there!" Bruce carefully recycled all of the gift wrap on his way out of the kitchen. Tony poured himself some more coffee and grabbed a bagel before heading to his workstation. When Bruce entered the room, Tony squinted at the worn khakis and Oxford shirt he still wore. "Didn't want to try on any of your new stuff?"</p><p>"Oh! Well, seemed like a waste to wear stuff that nice when I might get coffee or god-knows-what on it in here."</p><p>Tony inclined his head in acknowledgement of that point, and they settled into their usual work routine. He hadn't worked so well with another human being since Rhodey in college. Bruce was smart enough to keep up with Tony—smart enough to still surprise him—and observant enough to pick up on anything Tony might need. They often seemed to communicate without words—or at least without words that another human might understand.</p><p>True to form, they both got lost in their project and worked through the usual lunch hour, until JARVIS alerted them that Tony's scheduled cake order had been delivered. "Cake!" Tony said happily. "Ready for a break?"</p><p>"Sure," Bruce said, with a small smile.</p><p>They retrieved the cake—a Black Forest cake made with organic fair-trade cocoa from some hipster bakery Tony had found online. "You had a grownup breakfast so you can just have cake for lunch, right?" Bruce laughed, but he didn't say "no." Tony lit the candle and added, "Sorry nobody else is around. I'll just have to sing to you myself."</p><p>Bruce shook his head. "You really don't—" he started, but Tony cut him off by loudly launching into the Happy Birthday song, persisting in the face of Bruce's embarrassment. He ended with a prolonged "to youuuu" until Bruce finally blew out the candle.</p><p>"Thanks," Bruce mumbled. He cut the cake and offered Tony a slice before taking one for himself.</p><p>"I bet your birthday kind of got the shaft when you were a kid, huh?"</p><p>Bruce looked at him sharply. "What do you mean?"</p><p>"Just with it being so close to the holidays…" Tony trailed off. "I mean, our teammates are all traveling and I didn't even think any of them celebrated Christmas."</p><p>Bruce relaxed marginally. "Oh. Right. Yeah." He took a bite of cake and looked down.</p><p>Tony still felt that he'd said something wrong, though he wasn't sure what. He cleared his throat and offered, "My parents would throw these big parties for my birthday, but they were always mostly networking functions for SI. My birthday was kind of an afterthought."</p><p>"Oh. That's too bad. I'm sorry," Bruce said, with apparent sympathy for Tony's poor-little-rich-kid schtick.</p><p>Tony shrugged. "I made up for it once I got old enough to throw my own parties."</p><p>"I'm sure you did," Bruce said, a slight smile returning to his face. He took another bite and added, "This is good cake."</p><p>Tony smiled back, happy to have gotten that part right.</p><p>Bruce added, "You're right, it was a good surprise."</p><p>"Wait, you think <i>this</i> is the surprise? No, Brucie, cake on your birthday isn't a surprise, it's...it's your right. As an American. The surprise is later." </p><p>"Hm." Bruce gave Tony a wary look before returning to his cake. Then he put his plate in the dishwasher and returned to the lab. Tony poured himself more coffee and followed suit. </p><p>They once again lost themselves in their work until JARVIS announced, "Excuse me, sir, but I would suggest leaving now to make it to your engagement on time."</p><p>Tony looked at the time and cursed. It was nearly time for the movie. "J, what about our dinner reservation?"</p><p>"Apologies, sir, but I find no record of a dinner reservation for tonight."</p><p>"What? But…" Tony trailed off as he remembered—he'd been debating between an upscale Indian restaurant and a farm-to-table place, and then he hadn't been sure if Rhodey would be in town or not, and, maybe, he'd never circled back to actually <i>make</i> a reservation at either place. Sometimes he really missed having a human personal assistant.</p><p>It wouldn't have mattered, really—he was sure they could have gotten a table anywhere. It was more that, without it having been on JARVIS's calendar, now they didn't have time for dinner. Normally he'd just suggest a later movie time, but with this being a preview screening, there wouldn't be another showing of <i>Cats</i> that night. Tony sighed. "Bruce? You okay with popcorn for dinner? We can go out after if you're still hungry."</p><p>Bruce blinked. "Sure. I like popcorn. The surprise is a movie?"</p><p>"Yeah. Want to walk? The theater's like ten blocks from here." Tony hadn't found another driver after he'd sent Happy to California with Pepper, and he knew the movie theater didn't have a valet. They could take a cab, but Tony hated letting strangers drive.</p><p>"Of course. Let me just change. I'll meet you down in the lobby?"</p><p>"Sounds good."</p><p>Tony went back to his room for a bit of light primping. He grabbed a leather jacket and went down to meet Bruce, who was wearing his new parka over one of his new sweaters, a soft eggplant-purple cashmere number. Tony beamed. "Looking good! Sure you need the coat and all that, though? It's not <i>that</i> cold."</p><p>"Says you." Bruce adjusted his striped wool scarf around his neck and pulled on waterproof, touchscreen compatible gloves before they stepped outside.</p><p>Tony laughed and led Bruce to the theater. They dodged around slow-moving tourists, who clogged the re-constructed sidewalks to admire displays of Christmas lights. You could barely tell that the city had been ravaged by aliens six months prior.</p><p>"What are we seeing?" Bruce asked along the way.</p><p>"It's a <i>surprise</i>."</p><p>Bruce laughed. "I guess I'll find out soon enough."</p><p>When they got to the theater, Tony pulled out his phone and offered their e-tickets to a bored usher, who thankfully never looked up at Tony's face. The theater wasn't especially crowded, for which Tony was glad. Large crowds tended to make Bruce skittish, something he had somehow neglected to consider when planning Bruce's birthday.</p><p>"You want anything besides popcorn?" he asked Bruce.</p><p>"Hm? Oh, no, thanks," Bruce said, glancing around the lobby and twisting his hands together. Tony sized him up and determined that Bruce looked wary but not completely freaked out. He was sure Bruce would be fine once they got into the theater. Better than fine, hopefully. He put an arm around Bruce's shoulders, keeping him close and guiding him to the concessions stand. Tony got popcorn and Junior Mints and two giant Diet Cokes—the cashier there definitely did recognize Tony but was enough of a New Yorker to play it cool—and then they made their way into the screening. </p><p>Trailers had already started, and they waited until their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting to find their assigned seats, which turned out to be more like a loveseat, set aside from the longer rows of seats. The screening was much more crowded than the lobby had suggested—apparently everyone who was at the movies on a weekday night was here for <i>Cats</i>. Most of the attendees were wearing cat ears. Tony was glad that their seats provided some separation from this mob of feline enthusiasts, although he took the aisle seat to give Bruce a small shield from the chaos.</p><p>"Wow, this is way nicer than the last time I went to the movies," Bruce whispered. Someone behind them <i>shushed</i> them. Tony bristled, but Bruce whispered, "Sorry!" and turned his focus to the screen.</p><p>Tony snorted and started eating popcorn, rolling his eyes at the cheesy trailers. He braced himself when the feature presentation began, and glanced over at Bruce when the movie began with a cat being discarded in an alley. Bruce's eyebrows were furrowed with confusion, given the uncanny CGI effects on display as a multitude of cats appeared onscreen, singing and dancing and being generally off-putting in every way. Surely this was more appealing as a stage show?</p><p>The movie only went downhill from the opening—when Rebel Wilson <i>unzipped her skin</i> to reveal a costume change, Tony wanted very badly to scream "What the fuck?" but he had Rhodey's warnings in mind, and he didn't want to hurt Bruce's feelings in the event that Bruce was somehow enjoying this spectacle. He kept glancing over at Bruce, who was watching with a rapt expression and a hand over his mouth.</p><p>As the film dragged on with more cheesy songs and ill-advised visual effects, the crowd started to grow restless, with some audience members audibly laughing and wailing "Oh <i>no</i>," while other, more devoted, movie viewers kept shushing them. Bruce remained quiet, with his eyes on the film and his hand over his mouth. Tony had gathered that Bruce wasn't the biggest fan of hard rock, but was <i>this</i> Bruce's preferred style of music?</p><p>Tony wished that he'd thought to bring something to spike his Diet Coke with as he called upon all of his resolve to keep from laughing or worse at the movie. He was really trying to pay attention, to figure out why <i>Cats</i>, of all things, was Bruce's favorite thing. Or maybe the answer wasn't alcohol—he'd teased Bruce about weed before but maybe <i>Cats</i> really was more enjoyable if you were stoned.</p><p>Tony was both tragically sober and a certified genius but he was still having trouble following what the movie's plot was meant to be, or how some of these songs had ever seen the light of day. Still, the plight of the outcast Grizabella was sort of moving, if he understood it correctly. Was that what Bruce liked about the musical? Not that Bruce was particularly glamorous, but perhaps he could relate to the lonely cat who'd fallen on hard times? Tony always hated to think of Bruce's years on the run, and he let his knee fall against Bruce's, silently reminding Bruce that he wasn't a lonely stray anymore. Bruce glanced over and gave Tony a shy smile before redirecting his gaze to the screen.</p><p>Tony kept scrutinizing the movie, trying to figure out what Bruce saw in it, until finally—<i>finally</i>—the movie came to an end, with Grizabella flying off in a chandelier hot air balloon. Was it meant to be a metaphor? It couldn't actually be aeronautically sound, not with so many jewels dangling from it like that. He watched in stunned silence until the credits ended and the lights came up in the theater. He looked over at Bruce and asked, "Well?"</p><p>Bruce smiled. "A nice surprise, Tony, thanks."</p><p>"You hungry? You barely touched the popcorn."</p><p>"I could eat."</p><p>Tony watched with amusement as Bruce put all of his layers of clothing back on before leaving the theater. Once he was bundled up, they made their way to a diner, where they sat across from each other at a small booth. Bruce ordered a side salad and French fries and Tony got waffles, even though it wasn't <i>his</i> birthday.</p><p>Once the waitress had bustled off, Tony asked, "So you liked the movie?"</p><p>"It, um, I've never seen anything like it."</p><p>"Really? How did it compare to the original?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You know, the, uh, stage musical?"</p><p>"Oh, I don't know. I've never seen it. Why, how do you think it compared?"</p><p>"I've never seen it either." Bruce was looking at Tony with visible confusion, and Tony felt the same way. </p><p>Simultaneously, they both said, "But Rhodey said—"</p><p>They broke off, and Tony hissed, "<i>Rhodey!</i>," spitting out his best friend's name as if it were a curse. They both burst out laughing.</p><p>"So you don't actually like <i>Cats</i>, then?" Tony asked ruefully.</p><p>Bruce gave a crooked smile and said, "I guess I'm more of a dog person."</p><p>"I knew it!" Tony said. "But why didn't you say anything sooner?"</p><p>"Well...Rhodey told me it was your favorite, but you were sensitive about it, so I was trying to be polite."</p><p>Tony sighed. "You were willing to sit through that trash on <i>your</i> birthday because you thought <i>I</i> liked it?"</p><p>"Well, yes. I mean...I didn't have anything else to do," Bruce said with a shrug. </p><p>Tony rubbed his hands over his face. "Unbelievable. I'm sorry, Bruce, I really thought you'd be excited to see it."</p><p>"Well, it wasn't all bad. Some of the songs were kind of fun. I, uh, I liked Skimbleshanks."</p><p>"Skimbleshanks <i>was</i> a bop," Tony agreed. "But I wanted you to have a good birthday."</p><p>"Oh, it's been a great birthday!" Bruce said cheerfully. Tony studied Bruce's earnest face and wondered how bad Bruce’s previous birthdays must have been to make this one look good by comparison. Their waitress dropped off their food and Bruce started eating his sad-looking iceberg salad. </p><p>Tony thought again of the farm-to-table place he'd failed to make a reservation for and made a face. "We'll just have to try again tomorrow. We'll do a Bruce's Birthday (Observed) like they do when they want holidays to be on a Monday."</p><p>"You really don't have to."</p><p>"I really want to," Tony said, viciously cutting into his waffle. "Tomorrow, you pick the movie. And I'll pick a better restaurant."</p><p>Bruce laughed. "Okay, fine."</p><p>Tony smiled. "Good." He took a bite, and for a few minutes they ate in silence. "Hey. Remember when Rebel Wilson <i>unzipped her skin</i>?"</p><p>Bruce snorted. "I didn't know her name, but...yeah, hard to forget. Even if I tried. Did you notice that sometimes you could see the actors' hands? Like they just forgot to CGI them."</p><p>"And their shoes!" They both laughed. They continued to unpack the movie's many mysteries together over their meal, then ordered milkshakes and kept talking. They'd both been watching the movie intently, each trying to figure out what the other liked about it, so they had a lot of observations to share. Finally, Tony took the waitress's many persistent hints and paid the check, including a healthy tip. They grabbed mints and stepped outside, only to discover that it had started to snow.</p><p>Bruce pulled his faux-fur hood over his head and peeked at Tony with concern. "Aren't you cold?"</p><p>Tony scoffed and zipped up his leather jacket. "It's barely snowing, just a few flakes."</p><p>Bruce gave a melodramatic shiver, and Tony looped his arm through Bruce's and set off back toward the Tower at a brisk pace. Though he hated to admit it, it was actually pretty cold, and he was glad for Bruce's warmth next to him.</p><p>Back at the Tower, Tony followed Bruce, only belatedly realizing that Bruce was returning to his bedroom, not to a common room. Bruce paused outside the door. He shrugged off his hood and gave Tony a shy smile. A few snowflakes clung to Bruce's eyelashes and Tony swallowed.</p><p>"Calling it a night?" he asked.</p><p>Bruce shrugged. "I was at least going to hang up my coat. What, uh, what did you have in mind?"</p><p>"Well, you haven't had your birthday kiss yet."</p><p>Bruce blinked. "Is, um, is that a thing?"</p><p>"It could be."</p><p>Bruce studied Tony's face for an agonizing moment, and then he nodded once and opened his bedroom door. Tony watched with baited breath as Bruce took off his scarf and gloves—his younger self never would have believed that watching a middle-aged physicist remove winter outerwear could be so erotic. Bruce carefully hung his new coat up in a closet that Tony noticed was still pretty barren, and then he turned to face Tony. He licked his lips and said, "I haven't, um..."</p><p>Bruce trailed off, and Tony reached out to touch Bruce's cheek with his hand. Bruce flinched and Tony pulled his hand back, embarrassed. He'd been so sure that Bruce felt the same way Tony did, that it was only Bruce's shyness keeping them apart. He'd ruined Bruce's birthday at every step—wrong dinner, wrong movie, wrong moves… "Sorry, I—"</p><p>"—No! No, it's just, your hands are so cold…" Bruce reached out and took Tony's hands, carefully pressing them both between Bruce's, which were indeed very warm. Bruce bit his lip and looked at Tony, who decided both that he'd been right after all, and that he couldn't wait another minute to kiss Bruce. He gently pried his hands free and put his arms around Bruce's neck, giving him a gentle, chaste kiss.</p><p>Tony pulled back and said, "Happy birthday."</p><p>Bruce looked dazed, and Tony really hoped he hadn’t overstepped. But then Bruce took a deep breath and said, "Tony…"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>Bruce leaned in closer to Tony, and said, "You could, um, do that again. If you wanted."</p><p>Tony grinned. "Well. If that's what you want. For your birthday." He leaned in and kissed Bruce again. And again. Kissing Bruce felt like a continuation of their conversations; they seemed to easily pick up where they’d left off.</p><p>Eventually they stumbled over to Bruce's bed, where they peeled off their winter wear—Bruce's new sweater really was extremely soft—and found other ways of keeping each other warm. For awhile, Tony kept up his usual run of stream-of-consciousness chatter, mostly trying to make sure that Bruce was really okay with everything that was happening. But eventually, Bruce made it very clear that he was more than okay, and Tony ended up finding other uses for his mouth.</p><p>Later, when they were both satisfied and sleepy, Tony pressed his chest up against Bruce's back—hiding the light of the arc reactor—and whispered, "Happy birthday, Bruce."</p><p>"Mm," Bruce murmured. "Thank you, Tony." He sounded content, but exhausted, and shortly thereafter Tony heard Bruce's deep, even breathing. Tony smiled to himself and followed him in sleep.</p><p>But Tony dreamed of the wormhole, of the blackness of space. He awoke with a jolt and was momentarily alarmed to find himself in an unfamiliar room. But then Bruce sat up next to him and Tony caught his breath. He was safe; he was just in Bruce's room instead of his own.</p><p>Tony swallowed and mumbled, "Sorry." His heart was still racing, but he'd be okay. He'd been through this a hundred times since facing the Chitauri. </p><p>Bruce turned away, and Tony felt a momentary pang of rejection. But then Bruce produced the big, squishy plush cat Tony had given him. He silently offered it to Tony, who let out a little snort and squeezed the cat. It really did feel nice.</p><p>"JARVIS, low lights, please," Bruce murmured. He climbed out of bed, to Tony's disappointment. Holding the cat was nice, but he really wanted to hold Bruce, to be held by him. But he'd probably just annoyed Bruce by waking him up in the middle of the night for no reason. Tony could hear Bruce was nearby, but behind him. Should Tony leave? He should probably leave, as soon as he'd gotten his bearings. He hadn't even asked to stay the night in Bruce's bed, he'd just assumed he was welcome.</p><p>But then Bruce interrupted Tony's self-doubt with a steaming mug. "I made some tea." </p><p>Tony tucked the squishy cat under one arm and accepted the tea with a nod. It was warm and not unpleasant.</p><p>Bruce said, "It's chamomile. It helps me when I can't sleep."</p><p>"Ah." Tony nodded and took a few more sips. It was sweet to think that Bruce kept chamomile tea and a kettle in his bedroom, though it made him wonder how often Bruce had sleepless nights.</p><p>Bruce said, "I—I hope you know—I really don't want to hurt you. And neither does, ah, the Other Guy."</p><p>"I know," Tony said, with confusion at the apparent non-sequitur.</p><p>Bruce cleared his throat. "If that's what...if that's what you're worried about."</p><p>Tony couldn't help but laugh. Bruce blinked and took a step back, a wounded look on his face. "No, hey, Bruce, I'm sorry, c'mere," Tony urged, and after another anxious moment Bruce hesitantly settled on the edge of the bed. Tony set his mug on the nightstand and leaned against Bruce's shoulder. He enjoyed the contact, though Bruce's body language still felt tense. "I'm not afraid of <i>you</i>. Or the Hulk. I just...have nightmares sometimes. About. Uh. Other things. Not everything's about you, you know."</p><p>"Oh." Bruce relaxed marginally. "Do, um, do you want to talk about it?"</p><p>"No." Tony blurted out immediately. Then he added, "Not now. But I...feel safer with you here."</p><p>Bruce snaked out an arm and started rubbing small circles on Tony's back. "Me too. I mean, with you."</p><p>Tony nodded, relieved to hear it. He set the plush cat on Bruce's lap and said, "I probably should have gotten more of these. They're great for stress."</p><p>Bruce snorted. "Well, now I know what to get as a Christmas present for the guy who has everything."</p><p>Tony smiled and turned to press a kiss against Bruce's shoulder. "I'll name him Skimbleshanks."</p><p>"What? No, this one is named Skimbleshanks." Bruce squeezed the cat.</p><p>"You never said that."</p><p>"Well, I decided it last night."</p><p>"Okay, okay, let's not fight. Mine will be named Dame Judi Dench, and I look forward to sharing a bed with her."</p><p>"Perfect."</p><p>"I think you mean <i>purr</i>fect." Bruce snorted and stifled a yawn. Usually after a nightmare like that, Tony would give up on sleep and tool around in his workshop or watch TV or go on ill-advised drugstore runs. But now, Tony looked at Bruce's tired face in the dim light and asked, "Hey, you want to try to go back to sleep?"</p><p>"If you do."</p><p>"Mm. Can I have Skimble?" Bruce smiled and handed over the cat. Tony held it to his chest as he laid down on his side. Bruce slid behind Tony and put an arm around him. JARVIS dimmed the lights, and Tony could tell that Bruce fell back to sleep almost immediately. Tony lay awake for a while longer, enjoying the feel of Bruce pressed against him and the coziness of Bruce's bed. His lizard brain had been startled by the unfamiliar surroundings, but Tony's conscious mind liked Bruce's room. It was sparsely decorated, which made it seem more peaceful than Tony's cluttered quarters. And it smelled nice, like lavender, maybe? And best of all, Bruce was there. Before long, the chamomile caught up with Tony and he managed to get a few more hours of sleep before waking up again at a more reasonable hour. </p><p>Bruce sat up with a yawn and a lazy stretch. He had the cutest bedhead Tony had ever seen. Tony sat up too and said, "So what do you want for breakfast on your birthday…(observed)?"</p><p>Bruce laughed. "Yesterday was great, Tony, I don't need another birthday. Not till next year, anyway."</p><p>Tony ignored him and said, "How about waffles?"</p><p>"Again?"</p><p>"<i>You</i> didn't have any last night."</p><p>"Would it make you feel better if I just put some fancy toppings on my oatmeal?"</p><p>Tony sighed. "I guess. If that's what you want."</p><p>Bruce smiled. "Yeah. But I'm not really in a hurry for breakfast. Unless you are."</p><p>Tony took another look at Bruce's bedhead—and his bare chest—and smiled back. "I guess I could wait awhile, yeah."</p><p>"Great," Bruce said. He carefully placed the plush cat on the floor and then leaned over to give Tony a long kiss.</p><p>Breathlessly, Tony said, "Yeah, you know, I really can't think of anywhere else I need to be today. Or this week, probably?"</p><p>Bruce gave him a playful pout. "You said I could pick a movie tonight."</p><p>"So I did. Fine, I guess I might be ready to get out of bed in another, oh, ten to twelve hours." Tony buried his fingers in Bruce's curls, giving him a gentle scalp massage.</p><p>Bruce closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed under Tony's touch. "Hmm. Good, because I was thinking if we went to see <i>Cats</i> again, we might really appreciate some of the nuances better upon a second viewing…"</p><p>Tony pulled back, his eyes wide. "Uh…if...if that's what you want."</p><p>Bruce opened his eyes and his face lit up with a decidedly mischievous smile. "It's not. There's a documentary about small-scale agriculture I want to see. But it's sweet that you were willing."</p><p>"Oh, thank god." Tony let out a sigh of relief as Bruce leaned in to kiss him again. Tony paused to maneuver Bruce onto his lap. He couldn't help but think that being with Bruce would have been worth watching <i>Cats</i> twice, maybe even three times—but all the same, he was glad that wouldn't be necessary.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bruce's plush cat is along the lines of a <a href="https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/squishmallow-plush-16-inch/ID=prod6369400-product">Squishmallow</a>, for anyone who's never been distracted by big drugstore bins of squishy stuffed animals like some of us have.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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